Healthy Eating Strategy #8: Provide Professional Development of Staff to Increase Healthy Eating Opportunities in Schools

Our Healthier Communities Initiatives are built on the concept that local communities can work together to give all community members healthy choices and support the pursuit of healthy lifestyles. More than 160 Ys are working in collaboration with community leaders to make changes in policies and the physical surroundings in those communities so that healthy living is within reach for individuals of all ages and backgrounds.

Healthy Eating Strategy #8: Provide Professional Development of Staff to Increase Healthy Eating Opportunities in Schools

Improving staff instruction and providing healthier foods in schools can lead to a reduction of overweight and improvements in health. School interventions that include teacher training are effective in improving eating behaviors in students.

Evidence suggests that school interventions that include teacher training are effective in improving eating behaviors in students. With the training, teachers are able to provide nutrition education as part of their classroom curricula and in turn can influence children’s food choices. In addition, interventions that train cooks how to reduce the sodium and fat content of school lunches are particularly effective in reducing children’s energy intake from fat. Improved instruction and providing healthier foods in schools can lead to reduction of overweight and improved health.